Which has higher participatory democracy index, Australia or Belgium?

Australia, at 0.648 against 0.633 in Belgium as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Belgium?

233 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Participatory Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Australia vs Belgium: Participatory Democracy Index

Australia

0.648

in 2025

Belgium

0.633

in 2025

Australia rank

5th

Belgium rank

8th

Participatory Democracy Index over time

Australia
Belgium

How they compare

Australia currently reports 0.648 against 0.633 in Belgium, a difference of 0.015.

The two have swapped places 11 times across 233 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Belgium ahead.

Australia ranks 5th and Belgium ranks 8th of 176 countries.

Across the 25 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 14 and Belgium in 11.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Australia	Belgium	Difference	Ahead
1780s	0.028	0.032	0.004	Belgium
1790s	0.028	0.0678	0.0398	Belgium
1800s	0.028	0.0569	0.0289	Belgium
1810s	0.028	0.0656	0.0376	Belgium
1820s	0.0478	0.078	0.0302	Belgium
1830s	0.07	0.1802	0.1102	Belgium
1840s	0.0925	0.2038	0.1113	Belgium
1850s	0.2003	0.2057	0.0054	Belgium
1860s	0.3835	0.2064	0.1771	Australia
1870s	0.3827	0.2098	0.1729	Australia
1880s	0.3835	0.215	0.1685	Australia
1890s	0.38	0.2516	0.1284	Australia
1900s	0.5324	0.2856	0.2468	Australia
1910s	0.5432	0.2014	0.3418	Australia
1920s	0.5708	0.3012	0.2696	Australia
1930s	0.5623	0.3081	0.2542	Australia
1940s	0.5547	0.2379	0.3168	Australia
1950s	0.5891	0.4943	0.0948	Australia
1960s	0.5924	0.579	0.0134	Australia
1970s	0.6486	0.5867	0.0619	Australia
1980s	0.6775	0.5971	0.0804	Australia
1990s	0.6537	0.628	0.0257	Australia
2000s	0.6371	0.638	0.0009	Belgium
2010s	0.6165	0.6482	0.0317	Belgium
2020s	0.6197	0.6375	0.0178	Belgium

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher participatory democracy index, Australia or Belgium?: Australia, at 0.648 against 0.633 in Belgium as of 2025.
What is the difference in participatory democracy index between Australia and Belgium?: 0.015, with Australia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Belgium?: 233 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
How do Australia and Belgium rank globally for participatory democracy index?: Australia ranks 5th and Belgium ranks 8th of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Participatory Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Participatory Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 29,363 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, as well as the extent to which citizens can engage in regional and local government, civil society organizations, and direct democracy.